year 11 psychology exam

what is psychology

•the systematic study of human behaviour and mental processes.

Behaviour

Any kind of response that can be observed & measured.

Behaviour is driven by thoughts & feelings.

BioPsychoSocial Model

bio - physical

social - support group

psychology- mind

Biopsychosocial Model

•The biopsychosocial model states that psychological health, illness, treatments and factors are affected and/or caused by the interaction between biological, psychological and social factors. 

Biological

Biological factors influence behaviour through chemicals (like hormones and neurotransmitters), bodily functions (e.g. heart rate, breathing), and brain structures like the amygdala, which affects emotion, memory, and decision-making.

Psychological

Psychological factors include emotions, moods, thoughts, and memory. Common emotions like sadness, joy, and fear, along with cognition, learning, and past experiences, all significantly shape behaviour.

Social

Social factors like culture, religion, socioeconomic status, peer influence, and upbringing shape behaviour. Social support, family background, gender roles, relationships, and social media also play key roles, and cultural values can impact mental health.

Bio =

psychology

society

what is going on in the body to influence behavior

what is going on in the brain to influence behaviour

what are the external factors that are influencing this persons behaviour?

Research Methods

Step 1: Identify the research problem

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Step 2 : Review the Literature

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Step 3: Formulate a hypothesis

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Step 4: Design the method

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Step 5: Collect the data

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Step 6: Analyse the data

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Step 7: Interpret the data

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Step 8: Report the findings

•Experimental design

designed to test hypotheses or questions about the relationship between variables. Focus is on determining cause/ effect relationship

•Observational design

involve watching and recording behaviour, focusing on pre-existing groups to find patterns or correlations.

pro

naturalistic setting , real time data ,ethical consideration

con

lack of control, observerr bias, ethical challenges

•Qualitative design

Designs use focus groups and the Delphi technique to collect verbal data, which researchers interpret descriptively rather than numerically.

. Experimental research

Etests cause-and-effect by manipulating the independent variable (IV) and measuring its effect on the dependent variable (DV) under controlled conditions (controlled group )

pro

control over variables

relicatbility

causal inferences , rigorous desing

con

artificality

, ethical constraints , time and resource intensive

Sample

a group that is a subset or part of a larger group chosen to be studied for research purpose

•Population:

the larger group from which a sample is selected and to which the researcher will generalise the results.

Observational Investigations

watch behaviour without changing/manipulating the IV, observing its natural effect on the DV

Correlation

is a relationship between two or more variables (etc studying and grade)

Causation

that variable causes another to change. To show this, researchers need to control the experiment and change one variable on purpose to see the effect

Illusory Correlation

Illusory Correlation

or false correlations, occur when people believe that relationships exist between two things when no such relationship exists.

qualitative investigations

study feelings and experiences using words, not numbers, through interviews or observations

indepth understanding, flexiability , participant perpectives,

con

limted generlizatiaility

, subjectivity, time and resource intensive , bias

Objective Quantitative Data

numerical information that is measured without personal bias and can be verified. It’s based on facts and numbers, like test scores or heart rates.

Standardised tests

•Tests that have been designed to be used exactly in the same way each time

Subjective Quantitative Data

Numerical measurement that is based on an opinion or personal input

Rating scales

a type of closed-ended questionnaire where respondents choose from set options, often numbered, to show how much they agree or feel about something.

Qualitative Data

Non numerical data usually obtained verbally, in writing or via images

.g. focus group records, Delphi technique records, interviews, responses to open-ended questions

Open ended items

•Type of questionnaire allowing participants to respond in any way they wish

Internal validity

External validity

• The study’s accuracy in proving cause and effect.

  The extent to which results apply beyond the study to other people or settings.

Reliability

how consistent and dependable a measurement or test is. If repeated under the same conditions, it should give the same results each time.

Standard Deviation

shows how spread out the data is from the mean (average).

• Low standard deviation = data is close to the mean

• High standard deviation = data is spread out from the mean

PSEUDOSCIENCES

come from unreliable conclusions because they do not follow scientific method

•empirical evidence

Data from observation or experiments, based on the scientific method and real evidence.

What are Ethics

•Ethics are moral principles and codes of thinking and behaviour.

Ethical Considerations

informed consent

confidentiality

voluntary participation

withdrawal rights

deception in research

emotion

•: A personal experience that involves a mixture of physiological responses, subjective feelings and expressive behaviour.

•EXTERNAL FACTORS: A comment made by a person, something you observed.

•

•INTERNAL FACTORS: Needs and thoughts (missing someone, loving someone)

SUBJECTIVE FEELINGS

Feelings experienced by an individual that are based upon their opinion.

Cannot be directly observed.

The inner, personal experience and emotion

EXPRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Observable actions, often through facial expressions, that can be intentional or unintentional.

EXPRESSING BEHAVIOUR THROUGH VOICE

Emotions can be interpreted through vocal qualities such as speed, pitch and volume.

When a person is happy they tend to speak more quickly with a higher pitch and volume.

Paul Ekman

theorised that there are 6 key emotions that can be determined based upon facial expressions: Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Surprise and Anger.

PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE

refer to the changes in our bodies that occur when we experience an emotion. etc

Not all strong emotions

when someone is walking behind you and ur hear started to beat fast

GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE

•is used to refer to the electrical conductivity of the skin

role of the autonomic nervous system

•Autonomic NS regulates body organs automatically.

THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Prepares the body for fight or flight.

Reacts very quickly to prepare the body for action in an emergency.

Coordinates all of the physiological changes associated with stress.

THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

Calms the body, reverses stress responses, and works slowly to return it to a "rest and digest" state.

MEASURING PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL

A polygraph tracks heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and skin response. It doesn’t detect lies but measures signs of physiological arousal.

James-lange Theory

Emotions result from physiological reactions in the body.
We feel emotion after the body responds (e.g., trembling → fear).

Cannon-Bard Theory

Emotions and physiological reactions happen at the same time, not one after the other.

Example: You see a snake → you feel fear and your body trembles at the same time.

Schachter-Singer Theory

Emotions happen when a body’s physical reaction is combined with an interpretation of the situation.

Example: Heart beats fast → the person thinks “I’m scared” → fear is felt.
Emotion = body response + thought.

Plutchik’s Theory

are evolutionary tools that help survival. The Wheel of Emotions shows eight primary emotions that combine to create complex feelings.

mental illness

•medically diagnosable illness that results in significant impairment of an individual’s cognitive abilities.

refers to health conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, or behaviour, and may impact daily functioning.

wellbeing

Psychological Wellbeing refers to feelings of happiness and life satisfaction.

PERMA Theory

The PERMA Model represents the five core elements of happiness and well-being. 

PERMA stands for:

•Positive Emotion, 

•Engagement, 

•Relationships, 

•Meaning, and 

•Accomplishments.

flourishing

thriving with purpose, happiness, and strong social connections.

Resilience

the ability to recover quickly from adversity or stress.

Character strengths

•Creativity

•Curiosity

•Judgment

•Love of Learning

•Perspective

Original Mindfulness

present-moment awareness with nonjudgmental, open attention.

Benefits of

mindfulness

•Reduce stress and anxiety

•Improve mental health

•Better focus and concentration

•Increased self-awareness

•Improved relationships

•Better physical health

Limitations

•It is not a one-size fits all solution

•May not be effective for everyone

•Need to approach with openness and curiosity

•Should always be practiced under the guidance of a professional

Gratitude

Deliberately taking time to appreciate the good things in life, whether it be the people, personal experiences or things that we have.

Application of CBT

advantage

disadvantage

•Therapist and client to work together to identify negative thoughts and beliefs

through techniques

• Evidence-based and effective

• Works for many mental health issues

• Short-term and time-efficient

• Collaborative therapist-client approach

• Personalized and goal-focused

  cons

• Requires active client participation; motivation may be low

• Challenging to confront negative beliefs

• Relies on potentially biased self-reports

• Can be costly

Communication Styles

• Assertive –

• Aggressive –

• Passive – .

• Passive-aggressive –

• Expresses needs clearly and respectfully; confident and direct.

• Forceful, disrespectful, and dominating; violates others’ rights.

• Avoids expressing needs; often submissive or overly accommodating.

• Indirectly expresses anger; avoids confrontation but undermines subtly

•Forensic psychology

involves applying psychology to the field of criminal investigation and the law

common functions

•Competency evaluations

•Sentencing recommendations

•Evaluations of the risk of reoffending

•Testimony as an expert witness

•Child custody evaluations / disputes

Forensic Psychology vs. Criminal Psychology

Forensic psychology applies psychology to legal systems, helping courts, assessing offenders, and working with victims and witnesses. Criminal psychology focuses specifically on understanding criminals’ behavior, motives, and profiling offenders.

stalking

repeatedly following, harassing, or threatening someone in a way that causes them fear or distress.

VIP stalker

someone who obsessively follows or harasses a very important person (like a celebrity, politician, or public figure), often invading their privacy or safety.

The Stalkerazzi – Stalking & the Paparazzi

Aggressive paparazzi invading celebrities’ privacy like stalkers.

The rejected stalker

The intimacy-seeking stalker

The predatory stalker

The incompetent suitor

The resentful stalker

Attempts to continue or rekindle a relationship.

Believes they are in love with the victim.

Seeks control, often leads to more serious crimes.

Socially awkward; misreads signals.

Seeks revenge for a perceived wrong.

What is criminal profiling?

analyzing a criminal’s behavior to identify them.

Offender signature

is the unique behavior or pattern a criminal repeats during crimes.

Criminal profiling methods: Behavioural Evidence Analysis (BEA)

• Collect detailed crime scene evidence.

• Analyze victim and crime scene behaviors.

• Identify the offender’s actions and motives.

• Develop a profile of the offender’s personality.

• Use profile to help catch the criminal.

serial murder

when someone kills three or more people over time, with breaks between each crime.

4 types of serial killer

• Visionary –

• Mission-Oriented

• Hedonistic

• Power/Control

• – Kills because of voices or visions (often psychotic).

• – Believes they're removing a specific group (e.g., "undesirables").

• – Kills for pleasure, thrill, or satisfaction.

• – Enjoys having control or dominance over victims.

Mass Murderer

Spree Killer

is someone who kills four or more victims in one location in one incident and the killings are all part of the same emotional experience.

•) is someone who murders at two or more locations within a very short period of time (almost no time break between murders)

Psychopaths

It is a personality disorder.

lack empathy, fake charm, lie easily, and manipulate others without guilt.

Bowlby’s Theory of Maternal Deprivation

losing a mother’s care early can cause emotional and social problems later in life.

Expressive Behaviour

refers to the observable expressions of behaviour.

Microexpressions

are very brief, involuntary facial expressions that reveal true emotions.